--- title: "Breast Tenderness Causes | Sutter Health" description: "Is tenderness in the breast a concern for cancer? I have tenderness in just one fingertip size area to the left of the areola of the right breast." url: "/ask-an-expert/answers/breast-tenderness-causes-1051061102" --- 1. Home / 2. Breast Tenderness Causes # Breast Tenderness Causes * * * Medically reviewed by - Michael R. Forrest, M.D. ## Question Is tenderness in the breast a concern for cancer? I have tenderness in just one fingertip size area to the left of the areola of the right breast. ## Answer Pain and/or tenderness are two of the most common breast symptoms experienced by women. The discomfort can be severe enough to interfere with usual daily activities. The causes of mastalgia (or breast pain) are not very well understood, and the treatments are not well defined either. Mastalgia is rarely a presenting symptom of breast cancer, although it is usually the first thing most women think. (Read more about the causes and treatment of breast pain ) When suffering from mastalgia, start by going for a full breast check up, which should include an examination by your doctor possibly followed by an ultrasound or mammogram to detect any hidden problems. If there is no lump felt on breast exam or mass seen on mammogram, then the pain can be treated non-surgically. If there is a cyst seen on ultrasound in the area of pain or tenderness, the cyst fluid may be aspirated with a needle in the surgeon's office. See our recommendations for mammography and other tests. Breast pain can be cyclic or noncyclic. Cyclic mastalgia is breast pain that has a clear relationship to the menstrual cycle, and may indicate a hormonal imbalance. Mastalgia is often experienced as an early sign of menopause for women in their 40's. Breasts are made of glandular tissue, which swells with the accumulation of fluid when influenced by hormones. During pregnancy, this results in the manufacturing of milk. During other states of hormonal flux the result is pain. Caffeine (coffee, teas and chocolate) causes increased swelling of breast tissue, as does a diet high in salt. There is evidence that fatty foods and diary products can contribute to breast pain. The most common medications to blame are birth control pills or hormone replacement therapy, and occasionally antidepressants and others. Stress is a major contributor to mastalgia due to the link between hormone secretion and our emotions. Treatments include the use of topical applications, natural supplements or medication in more resistant cases. Reduce or avoid foods that worsen pain, while adding Vitamin E and evening primrose oil. Exercise and stress reduction may help. Topical applications of iodine or anti-inflammatory creams may be effective. Breast cancer most commonly presents as a new lump or mass in the breast that you or your doctor can feel. A lump that is painless, hard, and has uneven edges is more likely to be cancer. But, any of these unusual changes in the breast can be a symptom of breast cancer: - Swelling of all or part of the breast - Skin irritation or dimpling - Breast pain - Nipple pain or the nipple turning inward - Redness, scaliness, or thickening of the nipple or breast skin - A nipple discharge other than breast milk - A lump in the underarm area These changes also can be signs of less serious conditions that are not cancerous, such as an infection or a cyst. It's important to get any breast changes checked out promptly by a doctor. ****More information:**** ****Breast cancer articles, videos and other resources**** ## Explore related topics Breast HealthBreast CancerCancer ## Related questions View all questions - Health Q&A ### Additional Views During a Mammogram I had breast cancer 10 years ago. I had chemo and radiation. I've had mammograms every year since. What does it mean when additional pictures are needed because of denseness? What is the cause, and what is the chance it's a reoccurrance of cancer? - Health Q&A ### Benign vs. Cancerous Breast Lumps What does a breast cancer lump feel like? I heard the lumps that move when touched aren't as much of a concern. - Health Q&A ### Does Mastitis History Increase Breast Cancer Risk? Does a history of mastitis increase my risk for breast cancer? - Health Q&A ### Breast Cancer Screening Recommendations Breast cancer runs in my family (mother). Should I get a mammogram earlier than 40? - Health Q&A ### Breast Implants and Cancer Detection I'm a 40-year-old woman considering modest-sized breast implants. Will they interfere with the ability to detect breast cancer? View all questions ```json {"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"MedicalOrganization","name":"Sutter Health","@id":"https://www.sutterhealth.org/#medicalorganization","url":"https://www.sutterhealth.org","logo":"https://www.sutterhealth.org/static/images/sutter-health-logo.svg","address":{"@type":"PostalAddress","streetAddress":"2200 River Plaza Drive","addressLocality":"Sacramento","addressRegion":"CA","postalCode":"95833","addressCountry":"US"},"areaServed":{"@type":"AdministrativeArea","name":"California"},"sameAs":["https://www.facebook.com/SutterHealth","https://www.instagram.com/sutterhealth/","https://x.com/SutterHealth","https://www.youtube.com/sutterhealth","https://www.linkedin.com/company/sutter-health","https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sutter_Health"]} ``` ```json {"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"BreadcrumbList","@id":"https://www.sutterhealth.org/ask-an-expert/answers/breast-tenderness-causes-1051061102#breadcrumblist","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Home","item":"https://www.sutterhealth.org/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"Breast Tenderness Causes"}]} ``` ```json {"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"MedicalWebPage","@id":"https://www.sutterhealth.org/ask-an-expert/answers/breast-tenderness-causes-1051061102#medicalwebpage","url":"https://www.sutterhealth.org/ask-an-expert/answers/breast-tenderness-causes-1051061102","name":"Breast Tenderness Causes","description":"Pain and/or tenderness are two of the most common breast symptoms experienced by women.","inLanguage":"en-US","medicalAudience":{"@type":"MedicalAudience","audienceType":"Patient"},"isPartOf":{"@id":"https://www.sutterhealth.org/ask-an-expert/answers"},"breadcrumb":{"@id":"https://www.sutterhealth.org/ask-an-expert/answers/breast-tenderness-causes-1051061102#breadcrumblist"},"mainEntity":{"@type":"Question","@id":"https://www.sutterhealth.org/ask-an-expert/answers/breast-tenderness-causes-1051061102#question","name":"Breast Tenderness Causes","text":"Is tenderness in the breast a concern for cancer? I have tenderness in just one fingertip size area to the left of the areola of the right breast.","acceptedAnswer":{"@type":"Answer","@id":"https://www.sutterhealth.org/ask-an-expert/answers/breast-tenderness-causes-1051061102#answer","text":"Pain and/or tenderness are two of the most common breast symptoms experienced by women. The discomfort can be severe enough to interfere with usual daily activities. The causes of mastalgia (or breast pain) are not very well understood, and the treatments are not well defined either. Mastalgia is rarely a presenting symptom of breast cancer, although it is usually the first thing most women think. (Read more about the causes and treatment of breast pain) When suffering from mastalgia, start by going for a full breast check up, which should include an examination by your doctor possibly followed by an ultrasound or mammogram to detect any hidden problems. If there is no lump felt on breast exam or mass seen on mammogram, then the pain can be treated non-surgically. If there is a cyst seen on ultrasound in the area of pain or tenderness, the cyst fluid may be aspirated with a needle in the surgeon's office. See our recommendations for mammography and other tests. Breast pain can be cyclic or noncyclic. Cyclic mastalgia is breast pain that has a clear relationship to the menstrual cycle, and may indicate a hormonal imbalance. Mastalgia is often experienced as an early sign of menopause for women in their 40's. Breasts are made of glandular tissue, which swells with the accumulation of fluid when influenced by hormones. During pregnancy, this results in the manufacturing of milk. During other states of hormonal flux the result is pain. Caffeine (coffee, teas and chocolate) causes increased swelling of breast tissue, as does a diet high in salt. There is evidence that fatty foods and diary products can contribute to breast pain. The most common medications to blame are birth control pills or hormone replacement therapy, and occasionally antidepressants and others. Stress is a major contributor to mastalgia due to the link between hormone secretion and our emotions. Treatments include the use of topical applications, natural supplements or medication in more resistant cases. Reduce or avoid foods that worsen pain, while adding Vitamin E and evening primrose oil. Exercise and stress reduction may help. Topical applications of iodine or anti-inflammatory creams may be effective. Breast cancer most commonly presents as a new lump or mass in the breast that you or your doctor can feel. A lump that is painless, hard, and has uneven edges is more likely to be cancer. But, any of these unusual changes in the breast can be a symptom of breast cancer: Swelling of all or part of the breast Skin irritation or dimpling Breast pain Nipple pain or the nipple turning inward Redness, scaliness, or thickening of the nipple or breast skin A nipple discharge other than breast milk A lump in the underarm area These changes also can be signs of less serious conditions that are not cancerous, such as an infection or a cyst. It's important to get any breast changes checked out promptly by a doctor. More information: Breast cancer articles, videos and other resources","url":"https://www.sutterhealth.org/ask-an-expert/answers/breast-tenderness-causes-1051061102","author":{"@id":"https://www.sutterhealth.org/ask-an-expert/answers/breast-tenderness-causes-1051061102#expert"}}},"publisher":{"@id":"https://www.sutterhealth.org/#medicalorganization"},"reviewedBy":{"@id":"https://www.sutterhealth.org/ask-an-expert/answers/breast-tenderness-causes-1051061102#expert"}} ``` ```json {"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"Person","@id":"https://www.sutterhealth.org/ask-an-expert/answers/breast-tenderness-causes-1051061102#expert","name":"Michael R. Forrest","honorificSuffix":"M.D."} ```